Dehydrator



Sept. 12, 1944. E. l. FULLER 2,357,946

DEHYDRAIORS Filed June 1.8, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 f0 /9 v V P 1944. E. l. F ULLER 2,357,946

' DEHYDRATORS Filed June 18, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2,

Sept. 2 19 4. E. I. FULLER 2,35 ,9

DEHYDRATORS Filed June 18, 1945 3 Simeets-Sheet 3 Patented Sept. 12, 1944 DEH/YDKATOR Edgar l. Fuller, Denver, Colo., assignor to Lauren Burt, Denver, Colo.

Application June 18, 1943,Serial No. 491,363

4 Claims. (Cl. 34-497) This invention relates to dehydrators.

An object of this invention is to provide a dehydrator for foodproducts which is simple in construction and operation and will effectively remove moisture from the food products.

Another object of this invention is to provide a dehydrator which includes a cabinet provided with a heating means in the lower portion there- K of, a circulating fan for circulating the heated air, a plurality of baflles in the cabinet positioned so as to provide a tortuous passage, and a plurality of perforate trays removably mounted in the cabinet between the baffles.

A further object of this invention is to provide a dehydrator which can be effectively made in small size so as to be used in a community or small establishment the device being economical in operation and capable of dehydrating food products without case-hardening the products in a relatively short time.

With the foregoing objects in view and others which may hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will'be more specifically described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein are shown embodiments of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall withinthe scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a detail front elevation of a dehydrator constructed according to an embodiment of this invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure dis a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2;

.Figur 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 2; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the bottom of the cabinet showing the air intake fan.

Referring to the drawings the numeral l0 designates generally a cabinet which is formed of upright side walls I i, a rear wall I2, a closure 13 view taken on the line on the front of the cabinet, a bottom wall I4 and a top wall I5. The cabinet is supported above a plane surface by means of supporting legs It. The interior of the cabinet 10 is adapted to be insulated by means of insulating lining apart baffles I8. 7 the horizontal being inclined fromthe front to II which may be formed of asbestos or other heat insulating means.

The cabinet lBhas secured to the side and rear walls thereof, aplurality of vertically spaced The baffles l8 are inclined to the rear and terminate at their forward ends at a point rearwardly from the closure l3. A second series of baffles l9 are secured between the side walls ll of the cabinet and extend from the front toward the rear being inclined inwardly and downwardly and disposed alternately between the baffles H3. The rear endsof the baffles H) are disposed forwardly from the rear wall I2 so that the two series of baffles l8 and 19 form a tortuous air duct or passage within the cabinet.

The bottom wall l 4.of thecabinet is formed with an opening 2i) which constitutes an air intake opening and the top wall l5 of the cabinet is formed with an outlet opening 2] and preferably a pipe 22 is connected tothe top wall l5 for taking off the air discharged through the opening 2 l. The cabinet Hl has secured in the upper portion thereof, an arcuate transversely extending bafile 23 which is secured adjacent the forward end of the uppermost bafiie l9 and has the concave side thereof innermost so as to prevent the pocketing of any heated air in the upper forward portion of the cabinet;

The lowermost bafiie i8 is provided with a heat insulating lining '24 on the lower side thereof and the lowermost battle 1% is also formed with a plurality of holes 25 adjacent the forward end thereof for admitting air above the lowermost baffle I8 at a point rearwardly from the forward end thereof.

A plurality of perforate trays 26 are disposed between the baffles l8 and I9 andeach tray comprises a rectangular frame 21 and a screen or perforate element 28 secured within the frame 21. The trays 26 are removably supported on angle supporting members which include side supporting angl members 29 and rear angle supporting members 30. The supporting members for the trays 26 are disposed in substantially parallel relation to the baffles l8 and I9, being inclined. in-

wardly and downwardlyfrom the front of the cabinet. The articles to be dehydrated are placed on top of the trays 26 and the trays then placed in the cabinet H] on the supporting members 29 and 30.

In order to provide a means whereby heated air may be forced through the cabinet I0, I have provided an air duct 3| which is secured to the bottom wall l4. The air duct 3| includes a flat 2 A V pipe 32 which is provided with an open rear end 33. The forward portion of the pipe 32 is curved,

, 42 extends upwardly from the'opening 4|.

the duct 3!.

and the blades 38, is then operated so as to draw as shown at 34 in Figure 4, and the top wall 35 of the pipe 32 is formed with an extension or nipple 36 which is connected to the intake opening 20 so that air passing through the pipe 32 t will enter the lowerportion of the cabinet II]. A 7

fan, including amotor 31 and fan blades 38, is

' supported within the forward end of the duct 3|, the motor 31 being supported by a bracket or bar 39.

, The bottom wall 40 of the pipe 32, is formed with an opening 4!, and an upstanding nipple motor 31 is loosely disposed within the nipple 42 so that air canrpass through the nipple 42 and about the motor 31 in order to maintain the motor in a cooled condition.

Heat insulating lining 43 is disposed on themner side of the air duct 3| ,'being also disposed, as indicated at 44, aboutthe outer surface of the nipple 42. The bottom wall 40 of the pipe 32 is preferably uninsulated and a heating member 45lis disposed below the bottom wall 40, rear- Wardly of the motor 31. The heating member 45 is mounted Within a downwardly extending open housing 46 which is secured to the bottom wall 40 of the duct 3 I.

In the use and operationof this dehydrator the food products which are to be dehydrated are preferably initially blanched so as to provide a surface moisture on the products which will have The tortuous passage aboutthe baflles l8 andl9, and

through the remaining superposed spaced apart trays. V V t v This dehydrator has been particularly designed as a fairly small unit which may beused by a 2 7 small community or a 'small establishment and will provide a simple, efiicient dehydrator which,

in view'of the initial blanching of the food prod ucts, will not produce a case-hardening of the products. r c

I claim:

1. A dehydrator comprising a cabinet, a clo-" a sure at the front of said cabinet, said cabinet hav- 7 ing a bottom wall provided with an intake open- 7 ing a bottom wall provided with an intake open:

a tendency to prevent case-hardening of the r products during the time that "such products are within the cabinet ID. The articles are placed on the trays 26 which may be removed from the cabinet 10 through the closure I3. The trays may then be inserted within the cabinet l0 and the heater then operated so as to heat the air in The fan,:including the motor 31 the air through the duct 3| including airthrough the space between the motor .31 and the nipple 42; The heated air which may beheated to the desired degree, is forced upwardly against the lowermost baflle, l8, passing about the forward edge of this baflle and also a quantity of this heated air will pass upwardly through the openings 25. These openings 25 in the lowermost baflle may be of any desired size and number and positioned atecthe desired point or points rearwardly from the forward edge of the lowermost baffle l8. Theheated air passing about the lowermost bafile I8 will pass through the lowermost tray 26, contacting the food products on the lowermost tray and will then move upwardly in a ing, means discharging heated air into the cabi not through said intake opening, said cabinet "alsohaving an upper outlet opening, oppositely extending overlapping imperforat and inwardly inclined baflles fixed in said cabinet, said bafiles being parallel and inclined to thejhorizontal a plurality of perforate trays and means supporting said trays between said baffles.

3. A dehydrator comprising a cabinet, a closure at the front of said cabinet, saidj cabinet f having a lower intake opening and an upper outlet opening, opposed overlapping imperforate ballles fixed in said cabinet providing a tortuous air passage from said inlet to said outlet openings, a plurality of perforate trays,,means supporting said trays in said cabinet betweensaid baffles, an air'duct belowsaid cabinet, means connecting the innerend of said duct to said inlet opening, a circulating fan at the inner end of said duct for forcing air from said duct into said cabinet, and means heating the air passing through said duct. 7 e

4. A dehydrator comprisinga cabinet, a heat insulating lining in said cabinet, said cabinet having a lower intake and an upper outlet, op-' posed vertically spaced apart overlapping bafiles in said cabinet, an air duct below said cabinet communicating with said intake, a fan in said duct, means about said fan for admitting cool air I about said fan, a heater below said duct, and a housing 'dependingly carried by said duct and enclosing said heater.

EDGAR I. FULLER. 

